Sagem
(Safran group) has successfully completed a series of flight tests of
its long endurance
surveillance drone, Patroller™.
These 14 test flights, carried out at the Istres air force base in southern
France from September 19 to October 21, met the following objectives:
- Qualification of the aircraft's in-flight performance, including automated
landings at a steep glide slope.
- Integration of a new data link for taxiing, and a new, higher-performance
imaging chain for target identification.
- Qualification of new flight control functions supporting degraded
operating modes, as well as automated touchdowns in case of actuator
or propulsion system failure.
The redundant avionics suite showed a significant improvement in flight
safety, enabling Patroller to receive authorization from French authorities
to overfly densely populated zones in controlled airspace. |
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The Patroller drone was also operated over the Mediterranean
Sea to test operational maritime and coastal surveillance scenarios,
representing missions for homeland security and to combat illegal immigration.
Sagem will be able to deliver a complete, fully operational Patroller
system within 12 to 18 months.
Patroller™ is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone in
the 1-ton class, based on an EASA-certified (European Aviation Safety
Agency) aircraft. It capitalizes on technologies already developed by
Sagem for the Sperwer Mk.II tactical drone, and field experience in
Afghanistan. Patroller features a modular design, allowing it to carry
different pod-mounted payloads, and offers flight endurance of 20 to
more than 30 hours, at a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet. Designed for
a wide range of defense and homeland security long-endurance
surveillance missions, it also keeps operating costs under control.
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